"Here your drink Sweetie", told Rarity smiling.
"Thank you Rarity", says Sweetie Belle catching her glass of Apple juice with her hooves, and start to drinking it.
Rarity sigh.
"There is no more than wait that Mr Cake bring the cake, he should arrive soon now."
Sweetie Belle was not longer listening, because today it was her anniversary. Her first anniversary in Ponyville, her first with her sister and she was happy. She really like Rarity, mainly since her parents filed her here, the mare take care very much of her, playing with her when she had some free time, helping for the homework and for go to sleep, hugging her little sister when she had a nightmares.
Because yes, Sweetie Belle had nightmares almost every night now, preventing often Rarity to sleep herself. One day, Rarity bring her little sister to visit the medic, Doctor Stable. The doctor didn't find anything abnormal in the filly that day, but he informed the mare than Sweetie Belle wasn't the only one having nightmares the night, and apparently, many others childrens and babies have too. Some of his colleague working in others cities reported to him that
They all suppose that this "epidemic" of nightmares from the fact of soon is thousandth anniversary of the banishment of Nightmare moon, but said too there no reason to worry too much about this, "They are only nightmares, that can't be dangerous too much". Maybe they're right, thought Rarity for reassure herself.
*Crash*
Rarity turn round quickly, for see Sweetie Belle who had dropped her glass, fortunately the glass was empty. The little filly, with her ears against her head, looked first the broken glass with shock then her sister with a fear look.
"Oh no, i-i'm sorry sis, the glass has slid of my hooves.", told Sweetie Belle pushing back her chair.
"No Sweetie, don't move", told Rarity using her magic to catch every pieces of glass, throwing them in the trash and turn round smiling."Here, it doesn't need you to get hurt unnecessarily"
"I'm sorry Rarity", says the filly sheepish.
"Aww do not, but next time be careful, alright?", Sweetie Belle had no time to respond that somepony knocked vigorously on the door. "Oh, that's certainly Mr Cake with the cake, i will be back quickly". Rarity go out of the kitchen and disappears in the hallway, leaving the filly alone.
Despite the fact that Sweetie Belle could still hear Rarity talking to somepony at the door, she couldn't keep from to have afraid. Since that the poor filly had nightmares she didn't wanted to stay alone anymore, that's why some nights Rarity took her sister with her, in her room for reassure her.
"Oh hello Pinkie Pie, Howt can i help you?"
"Hiya Rarity, i'm bringing you the super-duper-20%cooler-awesome cake for Sweetie's Birthday. but you should certainly know of course."
The filly curled up on her chair, she started to tremble, and her breathing became jerky.
"Uh yeees... Thank you Pinkie... mrh then how much i have to pay you for this?"
"Oh don't be silly Rari, you owe me nothing, you already paid me when you made me the dress for the Gala."
Sweetie Belle stared at the door where Rarity was gone. Her heart going very fast, to the point where she could hear it beating in her ears.
"What dress, i don't remember to have made you a dress and what do you says about the Gala?"
"Oh yeah Twilight is not yet arrived in Ponyville, neeeveeermind, the season 1 has not even begin..."
The Sweetie Belle's head began to ache her, and her view began to be blurred.
"What are you talking, uuuh you know nevermind, thanks for the cake Pinkie see you next time."
"Bye, happy anniversary Swee..."
*SLAM*
The filly hear the door close and the reassuring sounds of Rarity's hooves who came back to the kitchen with a beautiful cake and a gift package red and yellow.
"A-are you crying Sweetie? What's wrong?", ask Rarity alarmed.
"No-no, that was nothing sist", told Sweetie wiping quickly her tears with her fore hoove and giving her best smile before looking the cake and gift package, "wow, is it for me?".
"Of course ...", Told Rarity putting the cake across from Sweetie, the gift by is side, a anniversary hat on the head of the filly, and light up the candles, "Happy birthday Sweetie Belle".
"Oh thank you Rarity" told Sweetie hugging her sister."thank you, thank you, thank you."
"Now let's eating your cake", told the mare cutting the cake and giving a part to Sweetie.
The little filly started to eat, The little filly started to eat, "Oh my... it's so good, i should thanks the Mr and Mrs Cake for that", smiling and letting some piece of Rainbow cake on her mouth
"THAT WAS ME", screamed Pinkie Pie.
"Do you hear that?", asked Sweetie Belle turn round to the window.
"That was certainly nothing dear", says Rarity, "Mmmh, you right, it's just delicious."
"THANK YOU!!!"
"Wouiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-hhf-wouiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii..."
Sweetie Belle was happy, no... very very very happy. She ran in her bedroom with her new toys offer by her parents stays in Baltimare, it was a pony plushie, a pink pegasus with a blue mane, purple eyes, and had two blue lightnings as cutie mark.
The filly running in round, making fall wooden cubes, jumping on some white pillow with smiling bees and ladybugs draw on it, and throwing with her plushie a rubber ball against colorful wooden skittles making fall them like a destroyed tower.
"Yeah, Firefly and Moon Dancer have saved the day and the princesses." cried happily Sweetie turning on herself with Firefly on her forehooves.
"Everything is alright Sweetie? You have a good fun?", asked Rarity coming in the bedroom, carrying a music box red and gold with her magic.
"Oh you have no idea sist, i love so much Firefly" told the filly with the plushie on her back.
"I see that... Uh i'm sorry but it's time for bed."
The filly stopped suddenly to dancing, her ears fall on her head, lowered the head and had a look with a mix of sadness, fear, abandonment, but tried all the same to smiling.
"But... You sleep with me tonight? ... right?" asked the filly with hope. Rarity nodded ( no ), " I'm very sorry Sweetie Belle, but I've a lot of work tonight, and this is my first big order since i open the boutique."says Rarity, put the music box on nightstand by the bed's side and kindled a magic lamp blue and yellow, "And then, i let you the lamp light if you want."
The filly didn't respond, she walked at her bed and went lie down. Rarity turned the Music Box's crank with her magic and started to singing in the same time of the lullaby. Slowly, Sweetie belle fall asleep.
"Sweet dreams Sweetie", says Rarity but the filly didn't hear.
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Sweetie Belle woke up terrified, sweating and trembling in fear. A lightning tore the sky in two followed by the sound of thunder, *Kra-BOOM* making jump the filly who hiding under the coverlet in crying. She waited a moment before get her head out of the coverlet and look at the window: it was still the night and the sky was full of raining's clouds.
Sweetie breathed deeply to calm down herself before to look around her: the magic lamp was shut down out and Sweetie didn't remember Rarity turn off the lamp, she wouldn't even do that. And the bedroom's door was ajar and a ray of light came from to the hallway.
The filly put her hoof by her side where would be her plushie but Firefly wasn't here anymore. "Firefly... Awww where are you" says Sweetie who lifted the pillow and the coverlet but Firefly was simply vanished. In the hallway, the light turn off and the door opening slowly, grinding.
"Rarity?" asked the filly
No response.
"Rarity!"
Still no response. The filly got out of her bed and left her room. The hallway was really dark, the only light came of the moon light and of some lightnings through the windows. "Rarity?" Always no response, Sweetie through slowly the hallway, the more closer of the wall before to open the bedroom's door of her sister. "Rarity?!" Silence, but Sweetie could see the silhouette of the mare on her bed under the coverlet. Sweetie trotted and climbed on the bed.
"Sist, i had a nightmare... sigh... and i can't find Firef ..." the words of the filly have died in her mouth: there was nothing under the coverlet, only blackness, "Wha..." the door slammed violently making Sweetie to jump. "If it's a joke Rarity, it's really not funny." says the filly crying.
A lightning followed by the thunder *K-Boom* illuminated the bedroom as in response of the Sweetie Belle's distress. Curled up on herself, Sweetie waited a moment before get up, trembling. She wiped her tears with her fore hoof and trotted to the door that was reopened.
"Rarity?... Somepony?" There was always no response, only the sound of thunder and rain.
Sweetie continued, but while she approached to the stairs leading down, at the boutique, a growl draconian came from nowhere stop her. Always trembling, Sweetie swallowed her saliva, took her courage at two hooves and came down the stairs.
Sweetie don't knew what pushed to advance her, what forced her to come down in the darkness despite her fear, and yet she continued to move, she could back in her bedroom and hide in her bed, but she didn't do that and she don't knew why... not yet.
* -BOOM*
The stairs led where Rarity stored the mannequins, some dresses not finished and most of the tissues. it was the backroom and this room leading to the others room: at the kitchen, the boutique with a little podium and the storage.
*Cling*
"Rarity?... Is that you?" says Sweetie in the direction of the broken glass sound. the curiosity won of the fear, she trotted to the kitchen. The apple bowl was now broken on the ground and the some apples rolling slowly in different ways, but no trace of Rarity. However, Sweetie Belle had now the bad feeling to be watched. By who? She don't knew but she doesn't like that. After a little minute for calm herself, Sweetie Belle continue her research in the boutique.
*Pomtph*
Sweetie jumped but not screamed this time: a mannequin was fall. She sighed of relief before trotted to it for...
*KA-BOOM*
New lightning and Thunder... very very close this time. The lightning had illuminate all the boutique during a moment before to be invade by the darkness, Sweetie had jumped and was curl up in a corner between the podium and a mannequin, she was dazzled by the light sudden of the lightning.
But at the moment of she recover the view, Sweetie regretted immediately, because at the middle of the boutique was now appear the same monster of her nightmare.
The mare stayed motionless for seemed an eternity to Sweetie Belle, until Nightmare Moon began to have her sadistic smile full of cruelty which her so such. She turned to the filly and changed into a smoke tentacles monster before throwing himself on the filly in screaming.
"GROOAR !!!"
"HIIIIIIIIIIII..." Sweetie running back in the kitchen screaming, the door slammed behind her, like if somepony tried to save her. Nightmare Moon hit the door violently, the filly look around her for some place to hide. But before she try, somepony pulled her by behind in a cupboard before the little door slammed and a hoof blocked her mouth prevented her to scream and an other to prevented her to move.
"Shhhh, you have to be very quiet now, i don't want her to find us." somepony says behind the filly who nodded.
Nightmare Moon tried to open the door and hit it several time, her energy waves made the dishes to fall and explode on the ground. But the door resisted, the mare gave up after many minutes and certainly searched an other way. Some minutes passed, silence fell, Sweetie calm herself and stopped to tremble. The hooves withdrawn of her mouth and her body. Allowing her to move a little and turn herself to face her savior, but she hadn't expected what she saw.
Standing in front of her was Firefly, her plushie, ear pressed against the cupboard door, listening if something was in the kitchen. Firefly sighed before she seated and looked at the filly. [Silence].
"What? Something on my face?" says the plushie.
"Uh ... ... Wh... ... How can you speak? You're a plushie." says Sweetie, the fear had disappeared.
"And you? You can, it's the same thing."
"But..."
"Shhhhhh-t, speak less loud. You don't want her to find us, are you?"
"Sorry"
The silence fell once again between them.
*K-BOOM*
"I think she's gone", Firefly turn to Sweetie Belle "Ok, can i know why in the name of Celestia you was chased by Nightmare moon?"
"I...I was looking for my sister and you... Did you see her? And where was you?"
*-Boom*
"Rarity? No i don't see her , and for me i simply don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Well, the thing i remember was me with you sleeping, something grab me after i was down here. I don't know anymore."
Sweetie Belle was disappointed, she hoped that she would find her sister, that was unfortunately not the case. Sweetie seated, all her hopes were gone: her sister was vanished, her nightmares was alive, and she began to be crazy with a talking plushie, she started to crying. Firefly don't knew how to react, but did the only thing to do: she hug the filly.
"Shhhhh Sweetie, I'm here..." says Firefly who wanted to be comforting but the filly continued to crying. "Don't worry about your sister, i will help you to find her, i promise." Sweetie stopped to cry and look at the plushie.
"Really, you promise?"
"Yep, Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Firefly laughed "I don't know where this come from but that funny... a cupcake in my eye." Firefly to get up and look at the filly "Come on Sweetie, here we go."
Firefly opened the cupboard door, followed closely by Sweetie. The kitchen looked like a war zone of porcelain broken, it was a gift from her parents to Rarity for have opened her Boutique, now it was just pieces of useless broken of dishes. Sweetie Belle walked carefully, avoiding to cut herself.
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"Did you heard that?" says Sweetie turn to hallway's door "... It's Rarity. RARITY"
"SHHHHHH"
Sweetie belle followed Firefly who inspected the backroom, apparently empty of monster. The little vocal seems to come from the storeroom, but this time, the door was locked.
*K-BOOM*
"Aww no, the door is lock, the handle is too high i can't open it."
"Wait, i have an idea..." Firefly climbed on Sweetie's back then on her head before to grab the handle and open the door "Too easy" she says smiling proudly and walking through the door, followed by Sweetie Belle.
The storage was not dark and terrifying like the filly suspected, a little magic lamp twinkled a low light orange like a candle, several crates contained the precious tissues that Rarity kept for the most important dresses was put away in a corner, some clothes was suspended at the wall by hangers, the dye pots magic was put in triangle, some of them was dusty, some not: sign of rarity used it to work for something, a old circular carpet green and red was willing in the middle of room. All of this, Sweetie Belle already knew it, she was already come here for helped her sister, several time even.
The only thing who was unknown to the filly, it was the little stone stairs from which came a strange grey aura and the Rarity's lullaby too. Sweetie down the stairs with Firefly who had climbed on her back, when she entered in the magical aura, a feeling of nostalgia invaded her.
"Whoa, what the buck is this?" told Firefly, but Sweetie don't response, concentrate on the shinning silhouette of a mare she knew: Her sister Rarity.
"Rarity!?", cried Sweetie, but approaching, the Rarity voice which came from the light statue, looking like a echo.
"Can you see your the reflections" says the figure.
"It's her! But, it seems more like a... a memory?" told Firefly looking at the light pony completely immobile, or rather like she was stopped in moving. "Seriously, why that aspirating the dust around her?" she says pointing something with her cotton hoof.
Rarity held a object than Sweetie recognized, it was a little mirror that Sweetie played with her the tomorrow when she arrived in Ponyville. Sweetie held out her hoof and took the mirror, making the Rarity figure to disappear with the aura of memory and the ghostly objects floated all around them. The room was now really dark, but that which reveals a passage in the wall where came a soft light and always the echo of the Rarity's lullaby. Firefly got down of the Sweetie's back and entered in the hole.
"Hey Sweetie, come over there and look at this."
The filly, always holding the mirror in mouth, ran rejoin her plushie. In the new little room where was now the two friends, several sewer pipes covered the brick wall, and a gigantic one opened in front of the two friends like a monster's maw.
"Are you heard that? The song come from the bottom of the pipe." she says climbing in the pipe diving her head inside. "I feel that we will go down with."
"A-Are you sure?" asked the filly before she jumped by the Firefly's side. "it's seems really dark inside."
"Only solution to know" says the plushie before she jump in the hole with a war cry. "GERONIMARE!!!"
"Wait FireflyyYYYAAAAAAA..." Sweetie Belle skidded tempting to catch up Firefly, but now the filly slid in the pipe screaming.
"... IIIIIIIIIIIIIIH WHOA OOF ... outch"
"Are you alright Sweetie?"
"Yes, yes i'm fine." told Sweetie wiping a little his coat of dust. Firefly came near of the filly, she was dirty too. "Whoa what is this place?"
Sweetie and Firefly was arrived where that seems to be a gigantic black cave, the only source of light came from of a hole in the cave's ceiling, illuminating something really unexpected. A little house.
"I really don't know Sweetie ... I don't know."
End Chapter 1.
